Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala anchored their teams to 4x100m relay success at the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius.
Amusan, who won the 100m hurdles title on Thursday, ran the final leg to help Nigeria win the women’s 4x100m relay, as her team bounced back from only qualifying for the final as a fastest loser.
The silver medal went to South Africa while The Gambia, anchored home by 100m champion Gina Bass, claimed a first ever relay medal at a major championship for the West African nation.
The win means that Amusan, who holds the African record of the 100m hurdles, matches her feat from four years ago when she won the same two golds on home soil.
Kenya’s sprint sensation Ferdinand Omanyala also ran the final leg of the men’s 4x100m relay final to win gold to go with the one he won in the individual event on Thursday.
South Africa, despite individual silver medallist Akani Simbine opting not to run in the final, claimed silver with Zimbabwe winning bronze.
African 100m record holder Omanyala is targeting a third title when he races in the 200m heats on Saturday and he was upset Simbine missed the relay final.
“I wish Akani had come to run in the final, I wanted us to win when he is here in the team,” Omanyala said after the race.
“This the team did a great job because I got the baton in first place so it was easy for me – I just had to pushing to the line.
“I came here for three gold medals. The hunt is still on. One more to go. So there’s no there’s no relaxation up to Sunday.”
While Omanyala is flying the flag for Kenya in the sprints his compatriots are not faring as well in events the East Africans often dominate.
The men’s 3,000m steeple chase has been dominated by Kenya over the years but their Olympic bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen could only manage sixth place in Mauritius.
As he struggled it was the Ethiopians who took advantage with Hailemariyam Tegen claiming gold ahead of his compatriot Tadese Bikila while Kenya’s Geoffrey Kirwa had to settle for bronze.
Despite finishing eleven seconds behind the winner Kigen was philosophical after the race.
“Championship racing Is like a merry go round, today you are a winner – tomorrow you don’t know what will happen,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
“Our dominance was another generation and now others keep acquiring skills from training and they are now used to how Kenyans compete and that is why they are running fast.
“Now it’s a matter of us working hard on it, so that you can fight back.”
Kenya also missed out on gold in the men’s 800m with Algeria’s Slimane Moula claiming the title ahead of Kenya’s Nicholas Kiplagat in second with Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela third.
There was something of a surprise in the men’s 400m final as Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga won gold just ahead of Botswana’s pre-race favourite Bayapo Ndori, who won a 4x400m relay bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
The bronze was awarded to Tunisia’s Mohamed Glassi after a photo-finish with South Africa’s Zakhiti Nene.
In the women’s 400m final – gold went to South Africa’s Miranda Coetzee, silver to Niddy Mingilishi of Zambia and bronze to Kenya’s Veronica Mutua.
In the absence of Nigeria’s Olympic bronze medallist Ese Brume the women’s long jump gold was won by Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala, to go one better than the silver she claimed four years ago.
Morocco’s Youssra Lajdoud won silver and Egypt’s Esraa Samir the bronze.
Brume had been due to compete for a fourth straight continental title but was unable to travel due administrative issues with her passport.
The women’s pole vault was won by South Africa’s Mire Reinstorf with her compatriot Nicole Jansen van Rensburg third and Tunisia’s Mahfouthi Dorra second.
The women’s discus title went to Nigeria’s Chioma Onyekwere ahead of Cameroon’s Nora Atim Monie with another Nigerian Obiageri Amechi winning bronze.
